


Brotherly Love: Something New

by Meredith17



Category: One Direction
Genre: Harry Styles - Freeform, Liam Payne - Freeform, Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, Niall Horan - Freeform, Perrie Edwards - Freeform, Zayn Malik - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 06:03:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1077443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meredith17/pseuds/Meredith17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall want nothing more than to have his music heard, but will fame cloud his judgement and pull him away from the people he cares about most?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Diner

Ding

“Niall! Get your sorry ass back to work!”

Don’t I just have the nicest boss? You’d think there wouldn’t be much pressure on me working in a small diner. I cook food with three others for a crowd with the average in the single digits. Charlie, my lovely boss, is a grade-A dick who would probably die if he didn’t yell at me daily. There isn’t even a reason for most of his yelling, and especially not today. It’s 2:30 and there’s no one but workers in the diner. I didn’t even leave the kitchen. I was sitting on the floor, playing my guitar. God help us all, I’m going straight to Hell. God, Charlie’s an ass.

“Niall, we got it in here. Why don’t you go finish out back? We’ll cover for you, right, James? Just remember us when you’re famous one day,” Al says with a wink.

Al and James are the other cooks. James is in his late forties and Al is in his mid-fifties. They’ve always been father figures to me. My parents left very soon after I was born. The foster system was awful but it kept my brothers and me together. We even lived with Al and his wife for a few years. They were our last foster home, and Al’s the one who got me this job, which isn’t that bad for a 17-year-old trying to save for college.

“Thanks, Al. I won’t be long. Promise,” I say with a smile before walking towards the back door. The door’s open when I hear my name being called again.

“Niall! Bring me my grilled cheese and apple juice immediately!” I can’t help but smile at this demand.

“They’re here early.” James chuckles.

“I know. They’re starting to get unpredictable,” I laugh back. I glance out the window to the seating area, and, sure enough, sitting at the bar are two twenty-something brown haired men. My brothers.

“Hey, Lou! Ya know, there’s nicer ways to say things,” I yell at my oldest brother. He’s twenty-one and works for a modeling agency centered in LA. No, he’s not a model, he just manages a few. Two girls and two boys. He always speaks pretty highly of them, especially the tall one. Harry. Sometimes I wonder if he fancies Harry, but I wouldn’t want to assume. Louis will tell us eventually.

“I wouldn’t have to talk that way if I already had my food, now would I?” he jokes.

“Hey now, you two, I’m hungry! Lou, he’ll never get to work with you two bickering,” Liam, the brother between us, says. Liam’s nineteen and works at our town paper, The Daily Bell. He goes with Louis once a month to talk to some publishers in LA. He wants to be a famous writer/publisher one day. He thinks that, because he’s so young and is already one of the lead writers for our town’s paper, some company in LA will be willing to take him own. Never the less, that makes me the only one who hasn’t been out of our little town. The worst part is that our town, Bell, is fifteen miles from LA. They’ve offered to bring me on weekends that I’m not working, but big cities never really interested me.

“You heard the man, Niall! Get to work!” Louis exclaimed. I love him, and I know he’s joking, but some days he’s lucky that I don’t punch out his lights.

I settle for throwing a spatula at him and try not to yell when I practically growl, “If you’re hungry, make your own damn food.”

“Hey now,” Al says, coming from the kitchen carrying a tray with plates and full cups. “C’mon, you two, knock it off. There’s no reason to fight. Here. I’ve got your food. Niall, go out back and practice or cool down or whatever you need to do. And Louis, shut your trap and leave your little brother alone. He works hard. And may I remind you that he’s going to pay his own way through college? A place you’ve never to to except to party.” James snickers at Al’s reprimanding of Louis. Al’s always taken my side, especially if I’m right. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m youngest or if it’s because he sees that Louis only does shit like this to press my buttons.

I figure that it’s the later when I glance at my brothers (Louis’s smirking, of course, letting me know that he won this round) before heading outside.

There just has to be a better life than this. There has to be more than the diner and my idiotic brother and sneaking around to play my music. Maybe LA is what I need after all. Maybe I need a new start in a city full of people who can help me succeed. But if I go with Lou and Liam, it will be all about sight-seeing and being together and brother-bonding shit. It’s best if they don’t know. I bet they won’t even notice I’m gone. I’ll just go for a weekend, no harm. They won’t miss me.

Before I know it, I’m in my car on the road to our house, ready to get a bag and drive off. I’m gunna see what Los Angeles has to offer.

Okay, so I only make it halfway home before turning around to head back to the diner. It was just a stupid idea, running away. I could never do that to my brothers and Al, they’d be worried sick. I’ll find some way to get my big break without causing problems with the only people I care about.

I pull back into the diner parking lot and am relieved when everything is just as I left it. I didn’t want to have to explain anything. I quickly return to how I was before deciding to leave, just in case Al decides that now is the time to come get me. I’ve played guitar since one of my foster parents taught me when I was eleven. It’s been an escape ever since. If I was ever in a tough spot, music was always there for me. I’ve only had one solid friend throughout my life. She’s an orphan (sound familiar?) my age, except her parents died in a car wreck instead of leaving like mine. She’s still parentless, though. Her name is Evangeline; she always laughs and says that she doesn’t know what her parents were thinking, giving her a name like that, but I like it all the same.

Evie usually comes by the diner when my brothers do, and we all eat an early dinner together before the dinner rush at the small diner. It just turned 3, so she should be here pretty soon. Seconds later, as if on cue with my thoughts, there’s a loud honk echoing across the parking lot as I see her familiar car pull in. She’s a good driver, but she’s a bit reckless, as shown by her car flying through the lot, almost taking out two trash cans and me. She finally parks safely and makes her way over to where I’m sitting.

“Working on something new, are we?” she questions.

“Yeah. I’m thinking of going to LA with Liam and Louis next time and showing… someone what I can do. It’s time for me to follow my dreams. I can’t work at this damn diner forever. To be honest, if I stay here much longer, I’ll go insane. Or kill Charlie,” I added on as an afterthought, realizing that I was more honest than intended. Yeah, Evie’s my best friend and I tell her more than anyone else, but I’ve never really expressed my thoughts and feelings about showing my music to anyone outside of Bell.

“Niall, that’s fantastic!” You’re great, anyone would be an idiot not to sign you,” she reassures with a smile.

“Thanks, Evie. I needed that,” I answer with a small smile.

“Well, what are best friends for, right? C’mon, let’s go inside. I’m about to wither away I’m so hungry.”

I laughed. “Well, we can’t have that. Let’s go.” I stand up and throw my arm around her shoulder and we head inside.

“Eh! There are the two love birds!” Louis yells. “I was beginning to wonder when you two were going to come in. She ran over those trash cans ages ago.” I really hate it when they insinuate that we’re a couple. Sure, Evie is one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever met and has a heart to match, but we’re just friends. Plus, even if I did like her like that, I’m not her type. She usually goes for the “bad boy” douchebags.

“You’re just jealous ‘cause Niall’s my best friend, Lou. You’ve had that little green monster on your back ever since we met.” That’s another thing I love about Evie, she can hold her own against Louis.

“If I wanted a troll as a best friend, I’d just go look under some bridges.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re used to it. You have to get your models from somewhere, right? Especially the curly haired one. What was his name? Harry? Sounds like a troll name.” A loud ‘oh’ goes through the diner as Louis’s face turns bright red. For once, my oldest brother is silenced.

I gave Evie a quick high-five before Al hands us our dinner. The eating conversation is mainly what Liam and Louis are planning on doing in LA this weekend. Louis has meetings with all of his models and Harry has a shoot (he seemed particularly excited about that one) on Sunday. Liam is headed back to the publishing company he always goes to, but instead of seeing if they have any job openings again, he has a meeting with a publisher about printing one of the books he’s written. It’s the perfect time to take my chance and see if I can go with them, especially if they’re both busy.

“Uh… hey, guys. Do you, uh, think I could possibly go with you guys this weekend?” I slowly and unsurely ask and Evie pats my back reassuringly.

“Of course, man! You’re always welcome!” Liam says happily.

“Yeah, bro, it’ll be good to get you out of this town at least once in your life. You’ll have to take care of yourself while we’re at work. We’ll show you a good time when we’re done, though, right Liam?” Lou says with a smirk.

“Perfect,” I reply solemnly, and they all laugh.

What the hell am I getting myself in to?


	2. Los Angeles

-Friday morning-

Holy shit.

I leave for LA today. In a few hours. Fuck. I knew I should have planned more. I don’t even know where to start music-wise. I need help, and lots of it. So I do the only thing I can think of; Evie picks up on the second ring.

“Hello?” her muffled voice answers.

“Evie, I need help. I’m freaking the fuck out. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go. I haven’t even packed yet. What am I going to wear?” She yawns as my words flow quickly out of my mouth. Looking at my alarm clock beside my bed, I see that it’s 4am. Well shit. “Oh my God, Evie, I’m so sorry,” I start apologizing. “Did I wake you?” I ask, knowing the answer already. “I’m such a dick. I am so sorry.”

“Niall, shut the hell up. Seriously, it’s okay. I’m your best friend, I don’t care what time it is. I’m here for you,” she chuckles, instantly relieving me.

“You’re the greatest, ya know?” I smile to myself, knowing that she probably knows that I’m smiling.

“Duh. I’ll be there in five minutes. Maybe ten, depends on how quiet I have to be sneaking out.”

“You know you don’t have to do that,” I half-heartedly respond.

“Yes, I do, dumbass. You know I do. You’re freaking out. I’ll be over soon.”

“Thanks, Evie.”

“God, enough with the dramatics. See you soon.”

“See ya,” I say after she’s hung up. I don’t know how I’ll even live without her this weekend.

Evie walks into my room eight minutes later (I’m stressed and can’t look away from the clock, it’s keeping me sane) and gives me a big hug. “Thanks for coming,” I mumble into her hair.

“Please stop saying thank you. You need me, and you’d do the same for me tenfold. That’s what best friends are for,” she says, then holds my shoulders at arm length to look me in the eyes. “Friends forever, right?” she tells me, but it comes out more like a question.

Oddly, instead of comforting me, her kind words sting. What’s wrong with me? Evie’s just my friend. I don’t have feelings for her. This isn’t a movie. Plus, I know she doesn’t like me. I’m so far in the friendzone that there will never be any getting out. “Yeah, friends forever,” I say, forcing a smile and hoping that it looks natural. She pulls me back into the hug, and her green apple shampoo invades my nose. I promise myself to remember how she feels, arms around my neck and bodies pressed close together. No matter what, I’ll settle for this moment, this one memory, knowing it’s nothing more and never will be. Once I full know that, maybe moments like this won’t be so hard. Not the hug, but the letting her go.

“Everything okay?” she asks, obviously concerned. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding on to her longer than normal.

“Oh… uh, yeah,” I say, pulling back. “I’m fine. Just going to miss you this weekend. And I’m really nervous about leaving Bell and showing someone other than you my music,” I admit.

“Niall James. Stop with the pity party. You know that shit doesn’t work on me. I’m not Al. I know what you’ve been through, but I’m not going to let you sit here and wallow in nervousness and pity. You are incredibly fantastic, and your brothers will be in LA with you. I’m your friend, your best friend, and friends help each other. I’ll help you get past this because you deserve this chance. Something big is going to happen this weekend, and we both know that.” I know she’s just being firm so I listen and understand, but I feel yelled at. I’ve tried to convince myself of everything she’s just said, but nothing sunk in until now.

Now I’m sure of three things: 1) The word friend hurts a hell of a lot when you feel like you could fall for the person saying it, no matter how hard you try not to; 2) being nervous won’t help in any way, because all it’ll do is give me wrinkles and make me not want to go, both very bad things; 3) I’m in desperate need of something new.

 

Louis, Liam, and I are supposed to leave at 12:30, but Evie and I only finish packing and planning my route to stardom by noon. I’m bouncing, much to Evie’s annoyance, with excitement. The seconds passing feel like hours and the minutes feel like days.

It eventually, finally, gets to be 12:30, the bags are packed in the trunk, and Al is here to see us off and wish me luck. When we get to LA, the plan is for Louis to go to the agency to see his models (this obviously means Harry, and everyone knows it), Liam is going straight to the publishing company for his meeting, and I’m going to the strip to play some music on the sidewalk for some general feedback before going to a record label.

We arrive in Los Angeles and everything is going as planned. Louis and Liam left and I found the perfect spot to play. I get my guitar out and start strumming Home by Michael Buble. I’m plesently surprised when people stop to listen and even through some money in my guitar case. The longest anyone stays is about thirty seconds, except for one girl.

She has brown hair, and aside from her being a little shorter than me, she looks like she belongs with Louis’s agency or on a runway. She stays through all seven songs I had planned on playing before meeting my brothers for dinner.

“You’re really good,” she says with a smile while I’m putting my guitar away. “I’m Hadley.”

“Niall,” I say. “And thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it.” I stand back up, now unsure of what to do. “I have to go now, but thanks again.” I pause. “See you around, Hadley.”

“Niall, wait,” she says, putting a hand on my arm to stop me. “Will you be here tomorrow?”

“I don’t know yet,” I answer.

“Well I will, if you do come back.” She smiles again before walking off.

Well, this LA thing may not be such a bad idea after all.

I meet Louis and Liam at the hotel we’re staying at so we can go to the benefit dinner Louis told me about earlier. Apparently his boss is going to be there and the more guests he brings, the better he looks. He even brought me one of Harry’s suits to wear since he’s more my size than the toothpick Lou is himself. It’s a plain dark blue suit, but the pants are a little long and a little tight, and there’s no tie. Louis then starts to style my hair up off of my forehead, and I feel a lot older than I am. Louis, Harry, and Liam wear normal black suits with the addition of a bowtie for Harry.

We arrive right at eight and a chauffeur parks our car. This thing really is fancy, wow. Everyone’s in suits and dresses that all probably cost more than I make in a year. Louis takes us to his boss for introductions first. He’s a tall man with salt and pepper hair, and he looks stern but not scary. He just looks like he’s been to a fair share of these benefits and has grown a bit tired of them.

“Louis, good to see you. Thanks for coming and bringing so many guests,” Lou’s boss says with a smile.

“It’s good to see you too, sir, but I hardly think Harry counts as a guest. He was invited on his own,” Louis says and the two laugh. “Allow me to introduce my brothers, Liam and Niall,” Louis says, motioning to us.

“Ah, yes, the writer and the musician. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both,” the man says before shaking our hands. Just how close are Louis and his boss?

“Pleasure’s all ours,” Liam says.

“Oh, forgive me,” the man says suddenly realizing something. “Let me introduce my daughter.” He gestures to his right, where a previously unnoticed beautiful brunette was standing and –

“Hadley?” I question.

“Niall?” she asks, equally as baffled, but happy nonetheless.

“Um, sweetheart, do you know this boy?” her father asks.

“Yeah. He’s the incredible musician I was telling you about earlier.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, dear! We’ll have to hear you play sometime, son!” Hadley’s father booms, and Louis, Liam, and Harry all look at me in shock while Hadley gives me a warm smile.

“Yes sir,” is all I can say. Louis pats my back, as if to say good job.

I definitely made the right choice coming here.


End file.
